Behind the Mic: CBS Adds Bart Scott, Tony Gonzalez to The NFL Today; Moyer, Stairs Called to CSN’s Phillies Booth

Bart Scott has been named studio analyst for the CBS’s NFL pre-game show, THE NFL TODAY, becoming the second fresh face to join the network’s NFL studio show after the Tony Gonzalez joined on earlier this month. Bart elevates his role from last season where he was a studio analyst on CBS Sports Network’s weekly Sunday pre-game show THAT OTHER PREGAME SHOW (TOPS).  Scott will join James Brown, Bill Cowher, Boomer Esiason and Gonzalez on THE NFL TODAY (Shannon Sharpe and Dan Marino will not be returning). In addition to THE NFL TODAY, Scott will expand his role at CBS providing analysis across multiple platforms, contributing to INSIDE THE NFL on SHOWTIME and appearing in weekly segments on TOPS…

…Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia will welcome 2008 World Series Champions Jamie Moyer and Matt Stairs as analysts alongside play-by-play voice Tom McCarthy and in-game reporter Gregg Murphy for the 2014 Phillies season. Moyer and Stairs will share broadcast duties as the NBCUniversal family of networks will air 161 of 162 Phillies regular season games. Moyer and Stairs, members of the 2008 World Series Champions, will each broadcast over 100 games, including more than 30 together…

…Communications expert Dr. Frank Luntz, CEO of Luntz Global, an international research firm, joins FOX Sports 1 as its exclusive sports communications analyst. Luntz’s contributions to FOX Sports 1, primarily during FOX SPORTS LIVE, will include live in-studio or via remote analysis on breaking news, press conferences and current events pertaining to sports.  Separately, Dr. Luntz hosts a segment called Sound Off, which features taped focus group discussions featuring audience members that cover a range of sports topics. Luntz is a frequent commentator and analyst on Fox News Channel and has conducted focus group sessions for all three major television networks, two of the three cable news channels, PBS and the BBC, as well as for The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, The New Yorker and U.S. News & World Report…

…USA TODAY Sports auto racing writer Nate Ryan has joined on at NBC just in time for the NASCAR season. Ryan joins NASCAR AMERICA host Rick Allen, fellow reporters Kelli Stavast, Marty Snider. Ryan’s contributions to NASCAR AMERICA will include interaction with NBCSN’s new daily NASCAR show via reports from NASCAR venues nationwide and regular visits to NBC Sports’ studio locations in Charlotte, N.C. and Stamford, Conn.  Ryan’s work will surround breaking news as well as feature stories, which melds nicely with his continuing role at USA TODAY Sports. Ryan joined USA TODAY Sports in January 2006 as an auto racing writer and recently completed his 11th full season of covering the Sprint Cup Series…

…Darren Haynes and Lisa Kerney have joined ESPN as studio anchors, appearing on various shows across several ESPN platforms.

Prior to joining ESPN, Haynes was sports anchor/reporter for Al Jazeera-America in New York (September-November 2013) where he anchored the evening and morning sportscasts, reported and provided exclusive interviews, and maintained a social media presence, including blogging (“Inside D’s Locker”). Previously he was at WHDH (NBC) in Boston (December 2011-March 2013), where he served as sports anchor/reporter, covered several Boston-area sports teams.

Prior to joining ESPN, Kerney had been at WCBS-TV in New York, serving as sports anchor for CBS 2 News This Morning since January 2012. She had also been at MLB Network where she was a sports contributor/reporter (October 2010-December 2011). Previously, Kerney was at KING-TV in Seattle (October 2005-10) serving as weekend sports anchor and Northwest Sports Tonight host…

…In other ESPN-related news, Eduardo Pérez, former MLB player and coach, has returned to the network to primarily serve as a Baseball Tonight studio analyst. Pérez will also make appearances on ESPN’s Béisbol Esta Noche on ESPN Deportes. In addition to studio analysis, Pérez will contribute to select game telecasts, beginning with ESPN’s Spring Training coverage. Pérez was previously a Baseball Tonight analyst at ESPN from 2006 through 2010. In 2011, Pérez joined the Miami Marlins as their hitting coach. He was most recently the bench coach for the Houston Astros during the 2013 season.

… Bellator MMA analyst Jimmy Smith signed on to a five-year contract extension that will keep the former fighter turned broadcaster on air for the promotion through 2018. Smith joined the company ahead of its second season in 2010 and he has since called 109 events…